A scanner apparatus, copy apparatus, facsimile apparatus, or a multifunction machine in which any of these apparatuses are combined, is equipped with an original reading apparatus for reading an original.
This original reading apparatus is ordinarily provided with a mechanism that detects and prevents multi-feeding in which, when supplying an original page by page from a plurality of pages of originals that have been placed on an original placement stage, due to friction or the like between originals stacked together, two or more pages of originals are supplied stacked together.
As an original reading apparatus provided with a mechanism to detect and prevent this sort of multi-feeding, for example, apparatuses have been proposed in which, even when multi-feeding has occurred when feeding originals, reading continues without suspending transport of the originals, and by sorting with other originals when discharging, the efficiency of original reading has been improved (for example, see JP 2000-165594A).
Also, apparatuses have been disclosed in which, when detecting multi-feeding of the originals during supply of the originals, by transporting the originals in reverse and returning them to the original supply stage, and transporting the originals again, multi-feeding is prevented (for example, see JP H6-219600A).
In the apparatus disclosed in aforementioned JP 2000-165594A, because reading of originals is performed even when multi-feeding has occurred, for example, when an original that has been multi-fed is stacked on a primarily read original, a series of images across two pages of originals are read. Thus, there was the problem that a correct original image could not be read and both of two pages of originals that have been stacked together were poorly read. That is, there was the problem that in repeat reading, because it is necessary to read both of these two pages of originals, the original reading efficiency was not necessarily good. Also, there was the problem that a recording sheet on which an image was formed by the initial reading was wasted.
Also, in the apparatus disclosed in aforementioned JP H6-219600A, a configuration is adopted in which when multi-feeding of the originals is detected during supply of the originals, the originals are transported in reverse and returned to the original supply stage, and transported again, but depending on the state of the multi-feeding, even if reverse transport is performed, the originals that have been multi-fed are not necessarily properly returned to the supply stage; it is possible that the originals may again be multi-fed even when transported again. That is, there was the problem that it was not necessarily possible to reliably eliminate multi-feeding.